Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Biophysics is the study of physical phenomena and physical processes in living things, on scales spanning molecules, cells, tissues and organisms. Biophysicists use the principles and methods of physics to understand biological systems. It is an interdisciplinary science, closely related to quantitative and systems biology.
An experimental method to study how cells sense and react to external mechanical forces combines controlled mechanical stimulation using nanopipettes with fluorescence imaging of membrane tension. This approach facilitates the study of mechanosensitive ion channels and the propagation of cell membrane tension.
A clear picture of how and why cells inevitably lose viability is still lacking. A dynamical systems view of starving bacteria points to a continuous energy expenditure needed for maintaining the right osmotic pressure as an important factor.
Liquid droplets form in cells to concentrate specific biomolecules (while excluding others) in order to perform specific functions. The molecular mechanisms that determine whether different macromolecules undergo co-partitioning or exclusion has so far remained elusive. Now, two studies uncover key principles underlying this selectivity.
Membrane fusion is crucial for fabricating artificial membranes. Here, the authors present an approach combining electric field with hydraulic pressure to physically control the fusion, enabling tuning of the shape and size of the 3D freestanding lipid bilayers in physiological solutions.
Supracellular cues play a key role in directing collective cell migration in processes such as wound healing and cancer invasion. New findings emphasize the importance of all length scales of the microenvironment in shaping cell migration patterns.
An experimental method to study how cells sense and react to external mechanical forces combines controlled mechanical stimulation using nanopipettes with fluorescence imaging of membrane tension. This approach facilitates the study of mechanosensitive ion channels and the propagation of cell membrane tension.
A clear picture of how and why cells inevitably lose viability is still lacking. A dynamical systems view of starving bacteria points to a continuous energy expenditure needed for maintaining the right osmotic pressure as an important factor.
Liquid droplets form in cells to concentrate specific biomolecules (while excluding others) in order to perform specific functions. The molecular mechanisms that determine whether different macromolecules undergo co-partitioning or exclusion has so far remained elusive. Now, two studies uncover key principles underlying this selectivity.